Prehabilitation for TKA surgery

Did you know that 1 in 6 Canadians, aged 15 years and older, are affected by arthritis? The Arthritis Society predicts that by 2037, the prevalence of arthritis will grow to affect 1 in 5 Canadians. There are two types of arthritis: inflammatory and degenerative. Inflammatory arthritis includes rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile arthritis, gout and others. This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s own antibodies attack tissues lining the joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis which leads to the wearing a way of cartilage.

Joint replacement is a surgical intervention that may be performed to help improve the quality of life of individuals living with severe arthritic joints. The number of people undergoing total knee replacement surgery has increased by 15% between 2006-2007 and 2010-2011.

Physiotherapy plays a very important role following a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) to help reduce pain, increase knee range of motion and improve functional mobility following surgery. In addition to the role that physiotherapy plays in the rehabilitation post-TKR, the concept of prehabilitation (participating in an exercise program prior to surgery) is of growing interest in physical therapy. Some research shows that prehabilitation may improve functional ability, knee strength and pain prior to surgery, and these effects may be maintained following surgery. Thus, prehabilitation may positively facilitate the rehabilitation of a post-surgical knee, and may improve recovery after surgery. Therefore, physiotherapy can not only help in the rehabilitation of a knee following surgery, but can also help individuals prepare for knee surgery through prehabilitation.